Union's young stars shine in friendly vs. Everton

CHESTER, Pa.Why is it that, in the middle of a seven-month regular season, the Philadelphia Union have stopped playing games that count for a 12-day span?

And why is it that everyone associated with the Unionfrom the front office to the coaches to the players to the fansare thrilled to have this respite to entertain foreign teams for exhibitions, which began with Wednesdays 1-0 win over Everton F.C. of the English Premier League and will culminate with a showdown vs. Spanish superpower Real Madrid at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday night?

The truth is, there are many reasons.

Its about showing these high-profile clubs from across the pond that Major League Soccer is growingthat the facilities are top-notch, the fans knowledgeable and the passion fierce. Is that working? Just ask Everton captain Phil Neville, a longtime star in England who said that Wednesdays game at PPL Park felt like a European-type atmosphere. (Thats about the highest compliment you can give.)

Its about showcasing the talent that lies within this league and proving that MLS squads can play on the same field as some of the best clubs in the world. Is that working? Well, the Union are 3-1 all-time in these friendlies, but its hard to make a fair assessment since the international clubs are in the midst of their preseason and dont always bring all of their top players. (Also, as the 7-0 whooping Manchester United put on the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday shows, the talent gap can still seem daunting.)

Its about money, marketing, and putting on a show for the fans, many of whom will pack large football stadiums to see some of the worlds biggest stars in person. Is that working? The money of course helps, and the Union fans, while upset U.S. star Tim Howard didnt make the trip for Everton, will certainly be drooling Saturday over Real Madrids Cristiano Ronaldo, maybe the best player on the planet.

All of these things are vital to the leagues development. But theres another very large benefit derived from these games, something that was on full display on a brutally hot summer evening at PPL Park on Wednesday, something that perhaps is more important than anything else:

Playing time for the kids.

With the Union coaches opting to rest many of their regulars for the friendly against Everton, many rookies whove yet to play in a league game made their debuts, as did a pair of high school-aged players in the Union youth academy systemChristian Hernandez and Jimmy McLaughlin.

And whether it was because of their unbridled enthusiasm, fresh legs or, lets face it, ever-growing talent, they all performed admirably in a situation few had ever been in beforeplaying in front of nearly 20,000 screaming fans, against a very good team from the worlds more renowned league.

Roger Torres, Danny Mwanga, Jack McInerney, Amobi Okugo all played very well, Union assistant coach John Hackworth said. And then we bring in some of our academy players upChristian Hernandez, whos an excellent player with a bright future, and Jimmy McLaughlin, who comes on and did a fantastic job and you wouldnt even know he wasnt a pro the way he played. At the same time, Gabe Farfan and Michael Farfan came on and played really well, so as a whole were happy. We felt like the young guys played well.

Hackworths list of names didnt even include the Unions rookie goalkeeping tandem of Zac MacMath and Thorne Holder, each playing a half in place of 40-year-old all star Faryd Mondragon, who was given the night off to rest.

Holder made a huge save midway through the second half to keep the game scoreless, and MacMath looked solid as well, though he wasnt really tested by Everton.

This means a lot for guys like me, the younger guys who dont get good competition in serious games, said MacMath, the teams first-round pick in the 2011 draft. We benefit the most of out of it.

I think guys get up for every game, no matter what it is. It was just extra motivation playing against a Premier League team and high-profile players.

For the rookies, their goal, in addition to allowing the regulars to rest, was of course to try to impress the coaches in an attempt to earn more playing time. And then theres the case of Hernandez and McLaughlin, who were trying to impress their coaches in an attempt to be signed.

Think about that for a second. These are just teenagers (McLaughlin just graduated from high school while Hernandez has a year left) who arent even professionals. But on Wednesday evening, they played against a top-tier English Premier League team. Even more, they played exceptionally well, with McLaughlin showcasing an explosive motor and Hernandez netting the games only goal, which was immediately followed by your classic I-cant-believe-that-just-happened celebration.

Hows that for a bright future?

I think thats its great for everyonethat we are a team and we do everything together and do all the same drills and everyone is ready to step on the pitch, MacMath said. Even with the two academy guys who came on, they stepped up and worked and took people on and got the goal for us.

Of course, we dont know for sure yet how well the clubs rookies will continue to progress, or even if Hernandez and McLaughlin will eventually sign with the Union.

Heres what we do now: If the teenagers get back onto the field Saturday at the Linc, they wont be fazed by the size of the stadium or the scope of the team they are playing.

Theyll just play soccer, as well as they know how.

Dave Zeitlin covers the Union for MLSsoccer.com and writes a weekly Union column for CSNPhilly.com. You can e-mail him at djzeitlin@gmail.com.